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Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Belfast (4811 Cpl C. Yeates. Manchester Regt.);
KSA (2) (4811 Serjt. C. Yeates. Manch: Regt.);
1914 Star, with clasp (4811 Sjt. C. Yeates. 1/Manch: R.);
British War and Victory Medals with MID (4811 A. W.O. Cl. 2. C. Yeates. Manch. R.);
Army MSM GV (4811 Sjt. C. Yeates. 2/Manch: R.)

MSM London Gazette 16 August 1917 (Mesopotamia).

MID London Gazette 1 January 1916.

Charles Yeates was born at Bristol on 24 March 1872 and attested for service in the Manchester Regiment on 23 December 1895. He served with 1st Battalion in the South African War and was with the half battalion of his regiment at Elandslaagte, and was also at Caesar’s Camp in the Defence of Ladysmith. By 8 May 1900 he had been promoted to Sergeant. His battalion embarked on the S.S. Dilwara on 11 March 1903, bound for Singapore, but by 1904 were destined for service in India.

His battalion was mobilised for service on 8 August 1914 and took ship to Marseilles and thence to Ypres and Festubert. At this time Sergeant Yeates was serving at least nominally attached to the Military Mounted Police, but appears to have remained with his battalion. By 1916 he had been posted with the Manchester Regiment to the Mesopotamia Field Force, arriving in Basra on 22 January 1916 and took part in the advance along the Tigris, the Relief of Kut and the taking of Baghdad. Acting Sergeant Major Yeates returned to England on 22 September 1919, having seen continuous service ‘with the colours’ since 1897. He was discharged on 9 November 1919, his stated place of residence being at Orchard Street, Weston Super Mare. He had been tried by District Court Martial in 1908 over alleged ‘embezzlement of funds’, which may explain the lack of a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

Picture courtesy of Spink

QSA (2) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith (4325. Pte. W. M. Scott. 5/Lcrs.), edge bruise, very fine

William Murch Scott was born at St Andrews, Portland, Dorset in 1874 and enlisted at London on 22 January 1894 listing past experience with the 19th Middlesex Rifle Volunteers. Posted to India with this unit in September 1894 he was there for over three years before being ordered to South Africa on 5 March 1898. This placed them with General Sir George White's forces early in the Anglo-Boer War at the Battle of Elandslaagte on 21 October 1899.

The Regiment remained with General White's Army becoming part of the force besieged in Ladysmith. During this the cavalry largely fought in the defences as infantry especially later in the siege when their horses began to suffer drastically due to lack of food.

Scott returned to Britain on 21 December 1901 and remained there for a year before being transferred to the Army Reserve on 27 October 1902. He was discharged on 21 January 1906; sold together with copied medal roll and service papers.

Pte Scott, 5th Lancers, has the clasps CC and SA01 listed on WO100/115p91

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (4) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Laing’s Nek, Belfast, unofficial rivets between second and third, and third and fourth clasps (5197 Cpl. C. Swann. Manchester Regt.);
KSA (2) (5197 Pte. C. Swann. Manch: Regt.);
1914-15 Star (2673 Pte. C. Swann. Manch. R.);
British War and Victory Medals (2673 Pte. C. Swann. Manch. R.)

Private C. Swann is confirmed as one of those men of the 1st Battalion the Manchester Regiment who was present at Elandslaagte. Medal roll indicates that he was also entitled to the clasps for Cape Colony and Orange Free State, the medal roll is also annotated that the Laings Nek clasp was issued later.

Swann served with the 2nd Battalion, Manchester Regiment during the Great War on the Western Front from 20 July 1915; he later served at home in the 2nd Garrison Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (2) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith (90117 Dvr: J. Webster, 42nd. Bty: R.F.A.);
[ Great War trio ]

Joseph Webster was born in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, in 1873 and attested for the Royal Artillery at Derby on 6 May 1892, having previously served in the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Sherwood Foresters. He served with the Royal Field Artillery in India from 23 November 1894 to 16 September 1899, and then with the 42nd Battery in South Africa from 17 September 1899 to 21 May 1900. He transferred to the Reserve on 1 April 1902, and was discharged on 5 May 1904, after 12 years’ service.

Webster re-enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery on 24 November 1914, and served with them during the Great War on the Western Front from 3 April 1915. He transferred to the Labour Corps on 13 December 1917, and then to the Royal Engineers on 3 September 1918, and was discharged on 18 January 1919.

WO100/141p200 lists him as being invalided.

Picture courtesy of Noonan's

QSA (3) Elandslaagte, Defence of Ladysmith, Belfast (3802 Pte. O. Pritchard, Manchester Regt.);
[ KSA (2) ]

QSA listed on WO100/198p63. KSA (2) listed on 340p176